Actor Angelina Jolie announced recently that she intends to launch a fashion house, Atelier Jolie.
Actors and musicians do this – a lot: Rihanna, Kanye West, Victoria Beckham, the Olsen Twins for The Row, Dua Lipa for Versace.
They do it because they can, because their fame means reach and, hopefully, sales. But I was sort of disappointed when I heard that Angelina Jolie had decided to go into fashion.
I’ve always found her to be an interesting and more complex celebrity, and I admire the work she has done around the world with the UN. She, more than anybody should have realised that the world does not need more fashion.
The earth is already struggling under the weight of discarded clothes and the depletion of the resources needed to make them.
Her Instagram account @atelierjolieoffical already has more than 180,000 followers and we haven’t even seen a design yet, so it’s pretty obvious what the power of celebrity brings to a brand.
Jolie’s approach is different as she intends to put the spotlight on the artisans that make clothes rather than having one designer.
The idea, according to her website, is that she is “building a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern-makers and artisans from around the world … “We will use only leftover, quality vintage material and deadstock.“
It’s slightly unclear how it will all work but it seems to include apprenticeships for refugees and collaboration with global artisans and creators “to help share the richness of their cultural heritage and support the development of their own businesses”. And there are references to customers being able to repair or upcycle pieces or redesign pieces from their own closet.
How this works as a large-scale, viable business is anybody’s guess. I’m sure the sentiment is sincere, but I couldn’t help but think someone with that amount of power and influence, and quite frankly money, could have chosen a project that wasn’t about buying more clothes.
Any sustainability expert will tell you that the best way you can contribute to lessening fashion’s terrible carbon footprint is to stop shopping and wear the clothes you already own.
We often rationalise buying new things, using the premise of cost-per-wear, but we should also think about the cost to the planet.
Doing a quick wardrobe check, I isolated some pieces I feel I made a good decision about at the time of purchase, because I’m still wearing them now and I intend to wear them in the future.
- A denim trench coat, which I just realised is 13 years old and still looks super fashionable – now more than ever.
- A Chanel tweed jacket. I saved and saved for that jacket and bought it 20 years ago, choosing it because it is a classic. It was too snug for me last year but I thought, “Hell no, a diet is a much better option than letting go of that jacket” so that’s also a bonus.
- An Emporio Armani navy wool coat oversized and man style, which is the choicest cut ever. I bought it 35 years ago and it still comes out every winter.
- Flat, handmade leather boots. I’ve had them resoled three times and now the leather is so soft and worn to the shape of my feet they feel like slippers.
When I think about it, none of these things were cheap, but the classic style and the initial quality meant they lasted. The buy less, buy better ethos. Or what about try not to buy at all? Then maybe celebrities can think of other sidelines.
